In Depth From dorm room to life-saving AI | Prepared’s story | Michael Chime (Co-founder & CEO of Prepared)
9 snips
Oct 1, 2025 
Michael Chime, co-founder and CEO of Prepared, shares his journey from a Yale startup to a life-saving AI platform for 911 call centers, now acquired by Axon. He discusses how personal experiences with school shootings inspired their initial safety app. Michael reveals the challenges of navigating government procurement and the bold strategy of offering their product for free to gain traction. He emphasizes the importance of mission-driven values, customer engagement, and evolving product features, all while monitoring real-life impact on emergency responses.
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Closing A Deal From The Hospital
- Michael was hospitalized for a severe, growing infection during deal negotiations and ran calls from his hospital bed.
- He used the downtime between tests to close the Axon acquisition while accepting the personal risk.
From School Safety App To 911 Platform
- The founders built a school safety app after being shaped by nearby active shooter events in their youth.
- That app evolved into a campus communication tool used for drills, medical alerts, and then seeded ideas for 911 integration.
Antiquated 911 Tech Is A Hidden Opportunity
- US 911 technology is decades old and often can't accept modern data like photos, video, or text.
- That structural gap creates a latent opportunity to deliver lifesaving context by modernizing the information pipeline.